I posted years ago a fantasy where CoS fell, sold the building to someone else, and critics had a party watching the sign come down. I'm just happy the sign is down; we can always have a party about something else (Miscavige in federal court, for example).

I always thought that sign was too blatant. Imagine St. Peter's with a big "Catholicism" sign or a temple in Tibet with a big "Buddhism" sign. It's too much like a corporate billboard.

And CoS now tries to peddle itself to newbies as "Dianetics," since all the late night comics specifically joke about "Scientology." That giant sign was like a new-member repellant.

The (5 year?) plan is to replace the sign with a new one. The whole tower needs structural bracing to support the new sign and the building itself needs a support wall added down the middle for earthquake requirements. The funding is sorely lacking as the orgs are supposed to contribute to this from FP and folks the money just ain't there.

I helped design the big blue sign. I was in the S.O. in 1978, at the big blue complex. (It wasn't blue yet) I was working on a project mission (missions are things that sea org members are selected to do that are not their usual posting. They can be short actions of going some place to observe or fix some management thing, or long projects to build something or establish a new unit. A sea org member on a mission is called a missionaire. The lowest class of missionaire is a third class missionare and they get that by doing the mini-mission school, a sea org checksheet about how to be a missionaire. iirc, DM was a missionaire on the mission operations pac move (MOPM) which was the overall mission manned by marc ingber and his wife, and others, that coordinated the move in of the orgs to the big blue complex and handled renovations as project missions under MOPM)

Anyway, I was a third class missionaire and the "mission third" (third member of the project and lowest) of the "mission signs exterior" project mission or MSE. We had the job of designing the exterior signs, interior signs, and eventually the original exterior and interior designs of the orgs, and the design of the (was going to be) actual LRH living quarters and offices when he was still planning to be living in the los angles pac base.

So, we designed the big blue sign. it had 4 tube white neon with helvetica medium letters and the letters were 8 feet tall iirc. it was designed specifically to be readable from the santa monica freeway to the south, per LRH orders. The material for the sign cost about 16 thousand dollars and was built by a commercial sign company once permits were obtained (some years after the sign was designed and materials purchased)

It was specifically approved by LRH. As were the exterior designs and color. YES the blue originally was approved by LRH. I helped put the proposals together along with Patti LeMarr and Doug Harlan. Doug and I did the illustration boards that went to him for approval.

The mission in 1977 and '78 had quite a bit of direct hand written traffic from LRH on even very small things and especially on the designs for his actual personal office.

When the G.O. went around destroying any evidence that LRH ran the churches directly, I was ordered by marc ingber directly to cut out the mentions or signature of LRH from every dispatch in our files. this was called Vetting. I was not informed that this was criminal obstruction of evidence or that the federal govt was investigating LRH for just this kind of personal control over the church.

Last, I want to say I'm sorry for my part in supporting this stupid and destructive cult when i was in it. I thought you would like a little history.

Mike: Wow... We certainly get all kinds here, and your story is very... enlightening (*groan*!). And I really enjoyed the historical retelling from the hand of someone who was actually there. Very cool!

But on to the serious stuff here, if I may... I reject your apology for your participation in the CoS. Why? Because you have nothing to apologize for. You were doing what you thought was right after buying into the horse and buggy show that is Scientology.

You can call yourself many things; ex-Scientologist, ex-Sea Org or what have you, but what you are to me is a fellow human being, and nothing can change that.

As a fellow human being I have love and respect in my heart for each and every person I encounter on the path, even though I may not agree with them at every turn and we may take different forks in that path. Many people have been steered down a wrong path in their hope and wishes to do better for their fellow man. They are not to be faulted for this. Those at whose feet fault lies, are the ones who would steer the good intentions of my fellow man into something dark and twisted and shine a spotlight on it to show it in the light and call it the "truth", while openly or covertly preying on a good hearted person's desire to make the world around them better, more secure and safer. They eat your hopes for breakfast, and dine on your dreams for dessert. If my fellow man should take that dark path, i will be there when our paths converge again to welcome him back onto the main path and lend him my walking cane should he require it, while providing comfort on the journey.

This is life outside of the CoS. I am an "undeclared" SP (and proud of it). I am what your former masters fear, because I offer the same comforts to you without the strings, punishments or costs. I give to you without need for repayment, an oath of loyalty nor admonishment should you stumble upon the path. They fear, because what they make you pay for, slave for, worry for, I will give to you for nothing. My good wishes and support of you as a person costs nothing. I have no desire for you to toil on my behalf, and I do not want your money. I will do my best to aid you in finding a better way to help yourself make your world better and better for those you care about. I will also admit when I am wrong. It is this competition that your former enslavers fear, for how can they compete with it? Therefore I am evil to them and you are told I am evil.

I have the failing of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove to me via thought, word or deed that they lie or bear me harm, and I personally give you that benefit of my free will. Please do not chain yourself to guilt and misgivings, because they allow the hurt and betrayal you suffered daily at the hands of those who would do you and others harm, power over you, and serve you not at all. Instead, free yourself of those shackles. Go to bed. When you wake, tell yourself that you are opening new eyes for the first time. Eat your breakfast and tell yourself that you are tasting this for the first time. Let your entire world be new to you with each thing you do through the day. Every sensation, thought, act... Let yourself believe that it is *yours* now, and belongs to no one else. When you experience the sensation of finally knowing that your life now belongs to you and you alone, parts of which you can give or withold of your own volition and choice, then you will be completely free of your yoke of oppression.

Today, between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, at the Sunday morning Hollywood Farmers Market, which lines Ivar and Selma streets between Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd, just south of the Scientology facility known as "HGB" (Hollywood Guarantee Building), there was the usual cadre of Sea Org members shopping at the market.

But today, along with their variations of the blue-on-blue SO uniform, jangling rings of enough keys to get one through the labyrinth, and picture ID pass cards, many were sporting new fashion accessories:

CELL PHONES!

Is this an omen? Is the "church" modernizing? Want to speculate on the meaning of this new development?

Last I knew, only top execs had actual cell phones that you could dial out on, and of course the numbers dialed had better be on the approved list, as all were logged in by security and any discepancy would earn you a fast trip to ethics.

For a while, all staff had pagers or walkie talkie type internal cells, but that became untenable as the stupid little teenage CMOers would call or page every 10 minutes or less to scream at Execs about their "targets", making it impossible to get anything done, plus it violated the "Danger Condition" by continously bypassing the "form of the Org". (In scientology, it is believed that if you apply the wrong "condition" you will bring about the next lower condition.)

The formula for Danger is:

Bypass (ignore the junior in charge of the activity and handle it personally).

Handle the situation and any danger in it.

Assign the area where it had to be handled a danger condition.

Handle the personnel by ethics investigation.

Reorganize the activity so that the situation will not repeat.

Recommend any firm policy that will hereafter detect and/or prevent the condition from recurring.

The Conditions are:

The chart of "ethics conditions" in Scientology is as follows, in descending sequence:

So, if they are giving everybody cell phones and pagers again, this is a very good thing, because it means they will all bypass each other and bring about the next lower condition, which is "NON-EXISTENCE"

There are usually lots of Sea Org people shopping at that farmers' market on Sundays, alone (yes, they do walk around ALONE) and in couples or small groups. I see the same faces again and again. Yesterday several had cellphones -- the first time I've seen them with these.

In light of the common perception that SO are not permitted to have cell phones, this is a new and unusual development. The ones chatting on their phones seemed too relaxed and happy to be undergoing sec checks or any other kind of pressure. Several of those not chatting also seemed a little more relaxed than usual.

Two years ago when the Los Gatos Org in Northern Ca. building was renovated and purchased, ( they asked that 200 members contribute $200.00 per month to make the mortgage payments)... they instituted all staff to wear uniforms, brownish brackish skirts, or slackes, white shirts and jacket, they also gave everyone a cell phone. My understanding was to be in contact with every one when needed. I know one ot5 that fought owning a cell phone and didn't answer her phone on her one day off, how upstat of her- but they remedied that by giving her a cell phone, now she can be part of the group all of the time. I am not sure who paid for the phones, but I thought it odd that a) uniforms, b) cell phones, c) how were they going to pay the mortgage on this huge place when the course rooms were empty?

I've wondered about the new cell phones. If the Sea Org members are required to always carry them, then CoS can track them if the phones have Global Positioning. I also wonder if the phones have been rigged to block calls outside the Sea Org group, and if the phones are rigged so that OSA can listen in on cell phone calls.

I'm positive there are no Internet connections on the Sea Org phones to start with. However, it wouldn't be hard for a teenager to hack a cell phone (teenagers teach each other these things all the time these days). He could replace the contents with that of a different cell phone. He could carry around the Global Positioning chip separately in his pocket most of the time, but hide it in a building or a car when he didn't want his whereabouts known.

I speculated many months ago about a new culture arising in Sea Org with a dynamic cell phone talker using the phone to make his or her team more loyal. That person COULD hack his own phone first and then, secretly or not, hack the phones of his or her subordinates. As Miscavige grows more remote, scrawny-wrinkly, unloved, and abusive, this is an opportunity for a power grab from below.

So Miscavige, if you're reading this, be afraid of those cell phones. Be very afraid. And OSA, if you're reading this, think about dumping Miscavige if a revolt arises in the ranks.